Monthly Archives: December 2014

The JBL D44000 Paragon is an iconic, one-piece stereo loudspeaker introduced by JBL in 1957 and discontinued in 1983; its production run was the longest of any JBL speaker. At its launch, the Paragon was the most expensive domestic loudspeaker on the market. Designed by Arnold Wolf from a concept elaborated by Richard Ranger, it is almost nine feet long and requires over a hundred man hours of hand-finishing by a team of dedicated craftsmen. Resembling less a conventional loudspeaker than an elegant sideboard, it is a landmark product for the company that was sought after by the well-heeled and celebrities. With estimated total production of about 1,000 units, it is highly desired by collectors to this day.

According to designer Zilch (RIP), “eWave is a pre-engineered high-frequency ‘module’ for building 2-ways comprising an inexpensive compression driver, modern constant-directivity waveguide, and a crossover incorporating the requisite compensation. Mate it with any woofer and cabinet of your choice which will play competently through its 1.6 kHz crossover region. The builder is responsible for optimizing the lowpass filter for the specific combination they use; a generic one is suggested as a starting point, and many have found that to be adequate for constructing a successful project….”

Essentially, the eWave setup replaces the original crossover — and the old tweeters and midranges with a single, horn high-range driver — and brings high-end, modern sound to vintage cabinets with original woofers.